Picture by Larry Fanning http://www.artcountrycanada.com/fanning.htm

So on this last unique day of 2011 , I will look over the past year, at the gifts and challenges it gave me and give thanks that I was given yet another year to live my life and savor all that it was and I will try not to think about 2012 because it has not happened yet, I will savor this day on it’s own merit. My only New Year’s resolution is to take each day as it is,  a new beginning and a chance to be who I choose to be each moment of that day and I hope that this will allow me to see the gift I am being given every new day.
blessed be,
PATC

http://www.christianlifecoaching.co.uk/build-your-faith.html

“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God”

You build your faith by reading and speaking God’s word. The Bible tells you that as you renew your mind, you will be transformed.

You renew your mind with the word of God

If you’re feeling defeated, it could be because you’ve been listening to the lies of the enemy.

“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free”

Let God’s word tell you who you are and what you have. Don’t give any attention to anything that tells you differently. God’s word is true.

• Acknowledge, agree with, recognise, confess and speak, the word of God
• Choose to see yourself as God sees you
• Speak out these truths even when you don’t yet see the reality

When God called Gideon a mighty warrior there was no evidence to suggest that it was true. God saw and spoke what Gideon would become.

Learn what God says about you and accept God’s opinion of you.  Believe what God says about who you are in Christ and you will become what you are in Him. By faith, believe the truth and act on what you believe.

You will build your faith as you constantly remind yourself of who you are in Christ.

Biblical Confessions To Build Your Faith

Apart from Jesus, I can do nothing; but in Jesus I can do all things. I choose to see myself as He sees me according to His living Word. My life is hid with Christ in God. I will say the same things that God says in His Word. How can two walk together if they don’t agree?

I choose to trust God. His Word will be the final authority in my life. I base my entire life upon God and His living Word. Because I meditate upon His Word day and night and carefully do all that is written in it, I will prosper.

I’m not just an ordinary person; I’m a child of the living God. I’m not just a person; I’m an heir of God and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ. I’m not just a sinner; I’m a new creation in Jesus. I’m part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. I’m one of God’s chosen people.

Jesus has declared me not guilty. I refuse to be discouraged. God is the God of all encouragement. There is no condemnation for me because I’m in Christ Jesus.

Satan is the father of lies. I won’t listen to his accusations. I am cleansed by Jesus’ blood. No weapon formed against me will succeed. I will disprove every tongue that rises against me in judgment.

My mind is being renewed by the word of God. I will pull down strongholds and cast down imaginations. I will bring every thought captive to the will of Christ.

I am accepted by God. If God is for me, who can be against me? Greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world. Nothing can separate me from the love of Christ. As the Father loves Jesus, so Jesus loves me. I have the righteousness of God through Christ. I am not a slave of sin, I’m a slave of God and a slave of righteousness.

I will continue in God’s word. I know the truth and the truth has set me free. I am free indeed because Jesus has set me free.  I have been delivered out of the kingdom of darkness. I’m now part of the kingdom of God.

I will submit to God. When I resist the devil, he has to flee. No temptation will overcome me which is not common to man. God is faithful. He will not let me be tempted beyond my strength. With any temptation He will also provide me with a way of escape, so that I can endure.

Jesus always causes me to triumph. I’ll reign as a king in life through Christ Jesus. The Word of God lives in me. I am more than a conqueror through Christ who loves me. I am an overcomer. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. God gives me the victory through Jesus Christ my Lord.

I am a success to the glory of God. All His blessings will come upon me and overtake me because I obey the voice of the Lord, my God. I am confident that those who seek the Lord will lack no good thing.

I will not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Speak God’s word daily. Believe it. Allow the living and active Word of God to build your faith, renew your mind and transform your life

http://www.christianlifecoaching.co.uk/who-you-are-in-Christ.html

Why do I need to know who I am in Christ?

You need to know who you are in Christ so that you can live a successful Christian life.

The more you agree with God about your identity in Christ, the more your behaviour will reflect your God given identity.

Learn to see yourself as God sees you. Accept what God says about you and become the spiritual person you are. God’s opinion is the one that counts.

Understanding who you are in Christ will give you a strong foundation to build your life on. Knowing who you are in Jesus is the key to a successful Christian life.

Your identity doesn’t depend on something you do or have done. Your true identity is who you are in Christ.

When you are in Christ you are a new creation, the old has passed away. It’s time to stop living out of who people say you are and take hold of the truth of God’s word.

You need to know who you are in Christ so that you can know what to do, when to do it, where to go, and how to do it

Who I am in Christ

Because you are in Christ, every one of these statements is true of you.

• I am loved 1John 3:3
• I am accepted Ephesians 1:6
• I am a child of God John 1:12
• I am Jesus’ friend John 15:14
• I am a joint heir with Jesus, sharing His inheritance with Him Romans 8:17
• I am united with God and one spirit with Him 1Corinthians 6:17
• I am a temple of God. His spirit and his life live in me 1 Corinthians 6:19
• I am a member of Christ’s body. 1 Corinthians 12:27
• I am a Saint Ephesians 1:1
• I am redeemed and forgiven Colossians 1:14
• I am complete in Jesus Christ Colossians 2:10
• I am free from condemnation Romans 8:1
• I am a new creation because I am in Christ 2Corinthians 5:17
• I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved Colossians 3:12
• I am established, anointed, and sealed by God 2Corinthians 1:21
• I do not have a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind 2Timothy 1:7
• I am God’s co-worker 2Corinthians 6:1
• I am seated in heavenly places with Christ Eph 2:6
• I have direct access to God Ephesians 2:18
• I am chosen to bear fruit John 15:16
• I am one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house 1 Peter 2:5
• I have been given exceedingly great and precious promises by God by which I share His nature 2 Peter 1:4
• I can always know the presence of God because He never leaves me Hebrews 13:5
• God works in me to help me do the things He wants me to do Philippians 2:13
• I can ask God for wisdom and He will give me what I need James 1:5

Simply choose to believe what God says about you.

“How can two walk together unless they agree?” Amos 3:3

Try reading the above list every day for a month, preferably out loud. The more you know who you are in Christ, the more your behaviour will reflect your true identity.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Romans 12:2

To live an effective Christian life you need to know and believe who you are in Christ. Understanding your identity in Christ is crucial to your success.

The best way to renew your mind and experience transformation is by knowing, thinking and speaking who you are in Christ 

Train yourself to say the same things that God says in His word. Become who you are in Christ. God wants to do more in your life than you imagine.

I believe and trust in Mother/Father God the Creator, the Great Spirit, The Great Mystery,The Source of all life

Who made us to be one family together, 

Brothers and sisters from every tribe and nation and culture.

I believe and trust in Yeshua Christ the redeemer,

Who saved us from death, self-centeredness and isolation,

To be joined together as parts of His  body,

That loves and cares for each other.

Who calls us to be one family,

With the rich, the poor, the disabled and the whole.

With the young, the old, the oppressed and despised.

I believe and trust in Mother/Father God,

Who welcomes us home into relationship with them for Eternity,

Where justice and love will reign forever.

I believe and trust in Father/Mother God’s new world coming, but that it has already come within the life of the believer,

Where  all are now sisters and brothers from all nations who now believe and later those who will believe,

We  are healed and made whole and have become all that Father/Mother God has intended us to be in Christ Yeshua in our spirits and after the resurrection in our glorified bodies.

Filed under: CHRISTIANITY, creeds, GOD ]]> http://patc56.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/my-creed/feed/ 0 OWLTHENA RHAEVYN http://patc56.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/1141/ http://patc56.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/1141/#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2011 21:22:28 +0000 PATC aka Rhaevyn WildRose http://patc56.wordpress.com/?p=1141 Continue reading →]]>

I really love this poem, found at the blog: DANCING ON SATURDAY http://chadholtz.net/

It is so simple and so true.

You are my beloved.   In you I am well pleased.   All that I have is
yours. 

Stop reaching.

I have shared this before but it’s worth sharing again.  My favorite poem is
also one of the greatest carriers of the Gospel that I know.   It’s worth
pointing out that it comes from the pen of Hafiz, a 13th century Sufi poet.
Repeat the last stanza throughout the day.   Let it wash over you.

Without Brushing My Hair

The

Closer

I get to you, Beloved,

The more I can see

It is just You and I all alone

In this

World.

I hear

A  knock at my door,

Who else could it be,

So I rush without brushing

My hair.

For too

Many nights

I have begged for Your

Return

And what

Is the use of vanity

At this late hour, at this divine
season,

That has now come to my folded

Knees?

If your love letters are
true dear God

I will surrender myself
to

Who you keep saying

I

Am.

Selah.

I don’t like any law by my government ,state or national ,that says what day I must rest be it for religious reasons or not!!! This is something that must be nipped in the bud now or we will all regret it. For what it is worth.

Blessings to ya

North Dakota Catholic Conference says ‘Sunday law’ benefits all  people

Read more: http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/US.php?id=3598#ixzz1Thy7XU5k

Red bellied woodpecker by P.A.T.C.

Hear a Red-bellied Woodpecker sing (Real Audio)Woodpecker Medicine Imperial Woodpecker Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Ivory-billed Woodpecker (UPDATE) Tristam’s Woodpecker

John James Audubon watercolor from 1826.

Woodpecker’s Wisdom Includes: Connection to the earth Ability to find hidden layers Understands rhythms, cycles and patterns Warnings Prophecy Associated with thunder The Earth’s drummer Pecks away at deception until the truth is revealed

Woodpecker is not only a medicine someone can carry, it is a Native American birth totem too. A WoodPecker (June 21 – July 21) birth totem is not the same thing as a spiritual totem or having a particular animal as a spirit guide. Those relationships are purely spiritual in nature. If WoodPecker is your birth totem, the animal acts as a teacher along your path specifically for spiritual understanding and growth. In other words, it is what you came here to learn! There are about 180 species of woodpeckers in the world. Most spend their entire lives in trees. Woodpeckers are climbers. They climb by propping their stiff pointed tail feathers against a support while shifting its leg hold. With its body close to the trunk or branch and its head bobbing, the bird hitches upwards, back down spiraling and nimbly darts sideways at incredible speeds. Because of their speed predators have difficulty catching them.

Their flight patterns are unique. Woodpeckers fly up, coast down then fly upwards again. Those with this totem often find that their path in life will not always conform to society’s standards and that their personal unique rhythm needs to be honored. Woodpeckers teach us to honor our personal truth and move through life with perseverance and inner strength. By staying grounded in our pursuits our goals can be obtained.
Woodpeckers are opportunists. They know when to fly out from a perch to catch insects in the air or on the ground. Their barbed tongues and strong chiseled beaks symbolize life lessons associated with discernment and proper use of speech for those with this totem.

In spring the loud calls of woodpeckers often augmented by drumming on hollow wood are the sounds of males holding territories. Woodpeckers defend their territory aggressively. Those with this medicine need to be in control of their personal environment and will not tolerate others trying to change it. Although personal space is very important for woodpecker medicine people, control issues can sometimes be a problem and flexibility needs to be learned. The woodpecker is known as the Earths drummer. Drumming is the heartbeat of mother earth and is associated with shamanism and the ability to move into other dimensions at will. For those with this totem the woodpecker represents self discovery. As they peck into and through trees and dead wood, hidden layers of ones psyche are revealed. Those with this medicine are good analysts and have strong mental capabilities. They make excellent psychiatrists and psychologists. Woodpeckers are active birds so caution is advised to maintain balance when reviewing any situation or issue. Too much analyzing can result in procrastination. The woodpecker is able to find food hidden under layers of bark and wood and teaches us to dig deeply to find truth and deceptions. Woodpecker energy is associated with prophecy and the ability to see deeper than surface lies.

James Coe Artist & Naturalist

Woodpecker speaks of not being hard-headed because they are able to use their beak to peck at trees. Woodpecker is telling us that even if something seems difficult to do, not to give up. To do what works, even if it is unconventional. To set your own pace, your own rhythm.
People born under the woodpecker sign need safety and security and are often wary because of their extreme sensitivity to their surroundings.

This totem is the power of rhythm and determination; stimulates new rhythms. Woodpecker folks are able to “ride the flow of life” and to receive in silence. They are gentle, sensitive and dreamy folks who tend to both absorb and reflect things around them. They are here to learn more independence and stability.

A Quick-List of woodpecker symbolic meaning:

• Balance
• Progress
• Signaling
• Returning
• Protection
• Initiation
• Attention
• Prophesy
• Listening
• Opportunity
• Discernment
• Communication
• Determination

When I hear the woodpecker knocking, I think of opportunity. You know the old saying “when opportunity knocks, answer the door.” That’s precisely what I’m driving at here.

Woodpeckers are extremely opportunistic themselves. Each tree is a door, revealing tender morsels of food (grubs and ants are their favorites). Other trees will yield against their beak-hammering to provide great mansions for their young.

When the woodpecker comes tapping into our awareness, it’s also a signal to use our heads. Just as the woodpecker uses its head (beak) to hammer out solutions (food, shelter), we too can use our intellect in finding solutions to our own barriers.

The symbolic meaning of woodpeckers also point to a need for creative vision. Being opportunistic, woodpeckers can see value everywhere, even in dead trees. Have you ditched an idea or given up on a project? The woodpecker may be trying to tell you to breathe new life into your project, just as they build new homes into dead trees.

Further, the symbolic meaning of woodpecker indicates a return to our roots, or having trust in our basic (gut) feelings. Dr. Carl Jung observed the woodpecker as a symbol of a return to the womb of creativity. In this observation the tree is symbolic of a womb; earthy, grounded, sturdy and secure. The woodpecker’s home within the tree is analogous of a fierce determination to return and protect that which is sacred to us.

When this bird comes pecking, it is a call for us to return to our roots, back to the womb of our ideas and use our intellect and discernment to follow through with our plans.

This analogy is doubly profound in the case of red-headed woodpeckers as the color red is associated with the root chakra. Prime, protective energy. Another clear sign for being aware of our core impulses, and our basic beliefs.

Native North American wisdom recognized the protective home-based themes of the woodpecker too. Prairie tribes had a myth that the title of protector of humankind was once vied for by the turkey and the woodpecker. The woodpecker won the title because of her ability to make such marvelous nests wherein the spiritual seed of humankind would always be sheltered from predatory threat.

The woodpecker may also remind us to be mindful of our words. It has a narrow tongue, extremely effective for picking up food in narrow places. This is symbolic for using a narrow route to get the most profound effect. The woodpecker asks us to use fewer words to make a stronger impact in our statement. …………..
And so, when the woodpecker comes calling, it may be a sign to:

• Fly back to our roots.
• Nurture our ideas in the womb of our core passions.
• Shelter our wisdom from predatory threat.
• Use our heads (intellect) to think up innovative solutions to overcome barriers.
• Communicate our ideas in more creative or non-traditional ways.
• Stop and consider the opportunities available to us at this time.
• Look at projects in unique creative ways to bring new life to a project.
• Listen more clearly to subtle energies, there is a message that only our intuition can interpret.

Here is a picture of the beginning of growing season and my corn plot just planted, and my boxes early on this season.

Here is another angle of my early garden this season.